Unexpected Lifeline
by racefh853629
Summary: Just when you think all is lost, a light shines through. Slight AU.
1. Prologue

A/N: I don't own CSI:NY, CBS, or any other known entity. This story is an AU that deviates sometime after Angell dies. There will be violence, and probably some bad language, so be forewarned. I hope you guys enjoy this, and please review. :D

* * *

Prologue

_His eyes glazed over slightly as he drank from his glass. He wasn't really thinking about anything or anyone in particular, just staring off into the distance outside the window. He wasn't even sure why he was here in the first place. It wasn't like he was really in the mood for company. He was just in the mood for something a little different than sitting in his apartment and drinking alone._

_He finished his glass as someone plopped down next to him. He glanced over as the person's profile registered in his mind, along with the alcohol he was drinking._

"_Another," he said to the bartender, turning away from the newcomer. The bartender nodded before looking at the man beside him._

"_Uh, rum and Coke," the newcomer said. The bartender nodded, walking away to fix the drinks._

"_Didn't know that was your style."_

_The other man shrugged. "There's a lot about me you don't know, Detective Flack."_

_The bartender placed the drinks in front of the two men as Flack looked over and nodding slowly. Both men slipped a bill over to the bartender._

"_Of course, that's not why I came over here," the other man said, taking a drink from his glass._

"_So why did you come here?" Flack asked, taking a drink from his beer._

"_To unwind."_

_Flack scoffed lightly, taking a long drink. "You checkin' up on me too?"_

_The other man shrugged, swallowing a mouthful of his beverage. "Should I be?"_

_Flack shook his head._

_The other man drank from his glass before tilting his head back and forth. "I like to think that you're aware enough to know when you're sinking. And you'll ask for help when you want it. Whether it's Mac, or Danny, or whoever. You'll come to us when you're ready."_

_Flack watched the other man critically, who finished his drink before standing._

"_See you tomorrow," the other man said simply, turning and walking out of the bar._

* * *

Flack shakes the thoughts of that night, which is over four months ago now, out of his head as he shrugs off his jacket. He throws it on top of the man he is kneeling beside, the man from his flashback. He presses the jacket into the wounds, trying to stop the bleeding as the man shakes.

The pained and panicked groan he hears in response to the pressure brings Flack a tiny bit of comfort, if for no other reason than at least he knows the man is still alive.

"I know, it hurts," Flack says softly, trying his best to comfort the person. "And, I know you're scared, but I need you to calm down. Deep breaths."

"Hurts… too… much," the man chokes out, his voice thick with bloody phlegm.

Flack moves, trying to position the younger man's neck and shoulders against his knees in an attempt to make breathing easier. "I know. I know. You gotta stay with me, though."

A police car pulls up on the scene, its blue and red lights cutting through the pitch black of the evening. The flashing makes the scene feel even more desperate, and Flack shakes his head again, forcing himself to focus on trying to save this man's life.

The man beside him coughs harshly, and Flack instinctively flinches. The officer that just arrived on the scene kneels down where Flack had previously been, applying pressure on the victim's wounds.

"Ambulance should be here in a minute," she reports, looking at Flack.

"Hear that, buddy?" Flack says to the other man. "Few more minutes. Just hang on. Stay with me."

"Trying," the younger man coughs painfully before going limp against Flack and the sidewalk.

As the red and white lights of the ambulance begin to mesh in with the blue and red of the cruiser, Flack and the officer begin to relax a little. The paramedics rush over, kneeling down beside the broken man on the ground.

"He just passed out," Flack tells them, staying where he was while staying out of the paramedics way.

The paramedics nod, checking his heart rate, breathing rate, wounds, and everything else.

"He's been beaten and stabbed," Flack continues. "I was down the street, heard the fight, came over here as soon as I could. By the time I got here, he was already down."

"Do you know his name?" one of the paramedics asks.

Flack inhales sharply, swallowing the lump growing in his throat. "Adam Ross."


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: See the first chapter for the disclaimer. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this! This chapter's a bit longer, and starts to mold the timeline. I hope you guys enjoy it, and please review! :D

* * *

Chapter 1

_**Four Months Ago**_

_He could hear kids scampering through different apartments as he walked down the old hallway. It wasn't the best building in the city, but it wasn't the worst. And, truth be told, he still had no idea what he was doing here in the first place. But he felt like he had to come._

_He approached his target's door, and heard the familiar sounds of "Carry On My Wayward Son" through it. It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on in the room behind it._

_Adam was playing _Guitar Hero_._

_Flack hesitated at the door. He knew Adam wasn't expecting him, especially not after last night's ten minute conversation over a drink. But something Adam said had struck a chord with Flack, and he felt the need to reach out._

_He wasn't sure why it was to Adam, though._

_He wondered if it was because Adam was more unassuming than everyone else. He felt he needed to hide his grief and guilt from everyone else. They wouldn't understand. But something told Flack that either Adam would understand, or he wouldn't care either way._

_He sighed heavily, hearing the song end. _

"_Oh, yeah, I rock," Adam's cheer was muffled by the door, and Flack allowed himself a ghost of a smile. It couldn't be _that_ bad of an idea…_

_Flack knocked on the door, and he heard Adam stumble slightly in the apartment. Footsteps padded over to the door, and after a moment, the lock clicked. Adam swung the door open with a look of mild shock on his face._

"_Detective Flack," he said cautiously. "I, uh, I hope you're not here on official business."_

_Flack shook his head, and Adam stepped back, allowing the older man to enter the apartment._

"_Flack…"_

* * *

"Flack?"

Flack shakes his head as Hawkes' voice snaps him back into the present and reminds him he has some reporting to do. He looks over to Hawkes and Mac.

"Sorry," he says softly, still somewhat distracted. "I was grabbin' a sandwich down the street when I heard the fight. By the time I got here, Adam was already down."

"How bad did it look?" Hawkes asks.

"He was pretty beat up, stabbed in the stomach, but he was conscious for a while. I'm not sure he knows who did this, but he might. I didn't really get a chance to ask. Wallet was on the ground, cash gone. I'm willin' to bet whoever did this left their prints behind."

Hawkes nods, setting to work as Mac turns to Flack. "Head to the hospital," the older man says.

Flack nods, leaving without another word.

* * *

_**Still Four Months Ago**_

"_Can I get you something?" Adam asked nervously, looking at Flack._

"_I'm good, thanks," Flack replied, looking at the apartment. Somehow, the place was exactly what he would expect Adam's apartment to look like, but not, at the same time._

_The living room had light olive green walls with a cream-colored carpet. The furniture was chocolate brown, leather, and looked very comfy, with a coffee table sitting in front of the sofa. There was a large bookshelf in one corner containing various textbooks, but the focal point of the room was the entertainment center. The floor in front of it, however, was a mess of video games that contrasted sharply with the relative neatness of the rest of the room._

_The kitchen, the only other completely visible room at the moment, had pale tan walls with a white linoleum floor. The cabinets were a light wooden brown color, and the countertops were cream. Flack could imagine that everything had its place in the cabinets, but the countertops were another story._

_A story that was explained when a small puppy came skidding to a halt in the kitchen._

"_You have a dog?" Flack commented, a little surprised._

"_Yeah," Adam replied. "I… uh… I rescued him after the night in the bar."_

_Flack nodded, understanding all too well what Adam meant. "What's his name?"_

"_Stewart."_

_Stewart perked up at the mention of his name before making his way over to sniff out the new guy. Flack reached down to pet him._

"_So, uh, don't take this the wrong way…" Adam started._

"_But what am I doing here?" Flack supplied. At Adam's nod, he said, "I thought about what you said last night."_

_Adam tilted his head slightly, but didn't ask._

"_You said I'd talk to someone when the time was right," the older detective said._

"_I didn't think you'd come to me," the young tech replied, confusion edging over surprise._

_Flack shrugged as Adam gestured for him to sit down. Flack sat on the couch while Adam took the armchair, and Stewart hopped up onto the couch next to Flack, still intent on checking out the newbie._

"_Truth is, I don't know why I'm here," Flack started._

"_Apparently, it was something I said," Adam joked lightly, causing a hint of a smile on Flack's face._

"_I just… I don't know. Danny's got his own issues with recovering from the shooting, you know? And… I don't know who else to go to…"_

* * *

Flack makes his way into the busy ER, finding the triage desk. "Hi," he says to the nurse at the window as he flashes his badge. "I'm Detective Flack. I'm looking for Adam Ross. He was just brought in here, got mugged."

She nods, typing on the keyboard before her. "He's in Trauma Room 8," she replies. "Unfortunately, I can't let you go back there. It's restricted to medical personnel only."

Flack nods. "Just, keep me updated. Please."

She gives him a sad smile. "No problem."

Flack sits down in the waiting room, resting his elbows on his knees and putting his head in his hands.

* * *

_**Still Four Months Ago**_

_Adam had his heels resting on the edge of his seat with his knees tucked up against his chest. Flack was staring at the ground, absently petting Stewart._

"_So…" Adam finally said. "We could… do something? Watch the game?"_

"_What game?" Flack asked._

"_I… don't know. But, it beats sitting here and staring at the floor."_

_Flack sighed heavily._

"_I mean, you haven't really explained anything, a-and that's okay. That's totally your right. You don't have to at all. But… you came here for a reason, and I don't think it was to sit in awkward silence."_

"_Actually, it was for less pressure," Flack admitted softly._

"_What kind of pressure?" Adam probed gently._

_Flack shook his head, and Adam nodded, understanding that Flack didn't want to talk about it._

_Silence fell between them again, both staring awkwardly at the floor. Adam was completely confused as to why Flack was there, which was understandable. Even Flack didn't know what he was doing there. He was cursing himself for thinking this was a good idea, that Adam could actually help. But the tiny nagging voice inside said Adam probably _could_ help, if Flack would actually _talk_._

"_Maybe I should go," Flack said softly, his cursing winning out over the voice. "I interrupted your night."_

"_It's okay," Adam said. "I wasn't really doing anything. You're welcome to stay if you'd like."_

_Flack noticed that the discomfort in Adam's voice seemed to be hiding something else, but Flack wasn't sure what that was._

"_You… uh… you ever play _Guitar Hero_?"_

* * *

Danny makes his way over to where Flack is sitting in the waiting room. "What's going on?" he asks.

Flack slowly looks up as he registers Danny's presence. "Adam was jumped on the street," he explains softly.

"He okay?"

Flack shrugs. "He's in the Trauma section."

"Medical personnel only. Where's Hawkes?"

"Workin' the scene with Mac… and maybe Stella's there now too."

Danny nods, resting his elbows against his still mostly-useless legs. He is making some progress in physical therapy, but not that much.

"Where's Lindsay?" Flack asks quietly.

"Home," Danny replies. "She's sick."

Flack nods quietly. "Is it a good idea to leave her alone with the baby when she's sick?"

"Lucy is spending the night with my parents."

"I see."

Danny sighs, shaking his head. "How did this happen?" he asks softly.

Flack says nothing, because he doesn't have the answer.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: I apologize for the long wait in between updates. Things are kinda crazy right now. See the first chapter for the disclaimer. The language kinda picks up a bit in this chapter, so keep that in mind. As always, I hope you guys enjoy, and please review. :)

* * *

Chapter 2

_**Three and a Half Months Ago**_

_Flack was sitting silently in the bar, drinking from a glass of whiskey, when Adam made his way in. He sat down next to Flack, saying nothing._

_No words. No judgment. Just two people sitting next to each other and drinking. At least, for the moment._

"_You follow me here?" Flack finally asked, taking a drink from his whiskey._

"_Would you be surprised to hear that I did?" Adam replied, shrugging._

"_A little."_

_Adam scoffed lightly. "Look, I-I know you probably don't want to hear this from me, a-and I know we aren't exactly close or anything, but you know you can't keep doing this, right?"_

_Flack snorted. "Who the hell are you to say that?"_

_Adam wavered slightly. "I-I-I'm someone who's always on the other side."_

_If Flack hadn't been buzzed and growing angry, he might have picked up on what Adam was trying to say. Instead, he clenched his fingers tighter around his glass. "You have no right to say anything. We're not friends."_

_Adam flinched, absorbing the verbal blows quietly._

"_We're colleagues at best," Flack continued, oblivious to the pain he was causing. "And hell, what do you know about the real world? You hide in your stupid test tubes and notebooks."_

"_I know more than you think," Adam whispered, abandoning his drink and walking away._

_Flack glared slightly at the retreating form before allowing the guilt to wash over him._

* * *

Lindsay makes her way into the waiting room, holding two cups of coffee. "Any news yet?" she asks, her voice congested and exhausted.

"Nothin'," Flack replies quietly.

"I thought you were home sleepin'," Danny says, looking at her.

"I couldn't be there knowing what's going on here," she says, handing each of the guys a cup of coffee. They silently thank her, and Danny is the first to take a drink.

"You didn't want any?"

"I'm not really feeling up to coffee right now." She sits down on the couch opposite Flack's and next to Danny's wheelchair. She rests her head against Danny's arm, closing her eyes and yawning softly. He turns, kissing her on the top of the head.

Flack curls his fingers tighter around the coffee cup, absorbing the warmth through their pads. His eyes are turned toward the lid, but his mind is somewhere else.

Some other time. Some other place.

* * *

_**Three Months and Thirteen Days Ago**_

_Adam was hunkered down on a stool, headphones in his ears, his mind focused on the notebook in front of him. Flack watched him for a moment through the glass walls, wondering just what the young tech had been thinking about._

_Flack sighed softly. _Do or die time_._

_He opened the door, knocking softly on it as he walked through it. Adam didn't respond, which meant that he either didn't hear Flack or didn't want to acknowledge him. But Flack instinctively knew that the latter wasn't true._

_Flack walked closer to the desk, putting his hand on Adam's shoulder gently. The younger man jumped, nearly scattering his notebook to the floor before pulling his headphones out of his ear._

"_I didn't mean to scare you," Flack said softly, almost nervous himself._

"_It's okay," Adam replied, forcing his voice to be casual in order to mask his racing heart. He pulled his iPod out of his coat pocket and put it on the counter. "What can I do for you?"_

"_I, uh, I wanted to apologize for bein' a jerk last night."_

_Adam shook his head. "You don't need to. You were right."_

"_No. I wasn't. I mean, yeah, you're not a cop, but who am I to say that stuff to you?"_

"_Detective, you really don't owe me anything. It's fine."_

_Flack furrowed his brow, not only at Adam's use of his title, but also what Adam was saying. "How is me bein' an ass to you 'fine'?"_

_Adam shrugged, but didn't elaborate._

_Flack shook his head slowly. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you're tryin' to help, but…" He sighed, sinking onto a stool near Adam's. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't want to hear it last night. Because you were right."_

_Adam quirked a shoulder up and down. "Happens once in a while," he said easily, smiling lightly._

_Flack smiled softly before growing serious again. "I shouldn't have been like that. You've stuck your neck out for me before with Sam."_

_Adam tilted his head side to side, brushing it off. "I'd have done the same for Danny."_

"_Yeah, but I'm not Danny. I mean, I don't work with you as closely as he does." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "I don't think I'm sayin' that right."_

_Adam shrugged. "You're trying to say I'm closer to Danny than I am to you."_

_Flack nodded. "Yeah. I'm not tryin' to be an ass."_

"_I know. No harm, no foul."_

* * *

Stella and Mac walk into the waiting room, joining the assembled group. "Anything?" she asks.

"Not yet," Danny replies, shifting Lindsay into a more comfortable position as she sleeps against his shoulder.

"Well, Hawkes just went back there," Mac says. "He'll hopefully be able to tell us something."

Stella sits down next to Flack while Mac takes a seat across from her. She wraps her fingers around Flack's forearm, and he turns his attention away from the lip of his coffee cup for the first time to find Stella's concerned eyes. "Are you okay?" she asks gently.

"Yeah," he replies, immediately putting up his 'tough guy' defenses. Defenses that practically crumble the second Stella squeezes his forearm lightly.

"You two have become close lately," she remarks.

Flack shrugs, trying to build them back up. "He's a good kid."

"Do you have any hints as to who would want to do this?"

He shakes his head sadly. "I'm not sure Adam even knows."

* * *

_**Still Three Months and Thirteen Days Ago**_

_Flack shifted slightly on the stool while Adam sat across from him, curious as to where this was going next. "I, uh, I appreciate you tryin' to help," Flack said._

_Adam shrugged. "I'm sure you'd do the same for me," he responded._

"_I don't know about that. I mean, not that I'd ignore you or anythin', I just mean…"_

"_You don't know where the boundaries are?" Adam supplied. At Flack's nod, Adam continued. "Neither do I. I guess I just figured I'd might be able to offer something. I mean, I know I'm not Danny."_

_Flack half-chuckled before shrugging and looking to the floor._

"_And I think you probably would at least try," Adam added. "You're a good guy, Flack."_

_Flack shook his head. "I did somethin' bad," he said softly._

"_Haven't we all?"_

_Flack looked up. "No, you don't understand."_

"_I know what you're thinking about," Adam said._

_Flack studied him for a second before saying, "When did you become a profiler?"_

_Adam smirked lightly. "I've always been good at reading people. Well, except for this one girl… whew…" He shook his head. "I should've seen that one coming. Yikes."_

_Flack smiled. "That bad?"_

"_Oh, man. You would not believe…"_

* * *

Hawkes walks over to the gathered CSIs, his face somber. "He's in surgery," he announces softly. "They're not entirely sure about his chances, considering he lost a lot of blood at the scene and they've had some difficulty stabilizing him. He has a broken wrist in addition to the bruising and the stab wounds, but the second he's out of surgery, they'll come find us here."

Everyone nods, silence falling over them.

"In the mean time," Mac starts after a moment. "Danny, you and Lindsay stay here. The rest of us should get started on the evidence. Flack, we're gonna need your clothes."

Flack nods, looking at his blood-caked shirt and jeans.

"Keep us informed," Mac instructs, as he, Stella, Hawkes, and Flack stand up.

"Will do," Danny says, readjusting Lindsay again as the others leave the hospital.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry for slow updates... I'm sick, though. :( See the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please review. :D

* * *

Chapter 3

_**Three Months Ago**_

_Flack sat down, this time in a booth, holding the bottle in his hand. Adam sat down across from him, holding a bottle of his own. "I, uh, I guess the, uh, fact that you're drinking beer rather than hard liquor is a step in the right direction," Adam commented quietly._

_Flack shrugged._

"_Look, I-I don't really want to harp on this, b-but drinking isn't the answer," he continued. "It… it's really not going to help."_

"_I know," Flack breathed softly._

"_So… why do you do it?"_

_Flack furrowed his brow, thinking. "I don't know."_

"_H-have you ever thought about talking to Samantha about this?"_

_Flack took a drink before shaking his head slowly. "Not sure she'd understand."_

"_I think she would. Understand about loss, I-I mean. That's kind of a more universal concept." Adam took a drink from his own bottle. "Everyone's lost something or someone. Sometimes it's a pet, a lover, a friend, a family member… the only ones who don't know what it is or what it means are usually small children."_

"_You're a philosophical drunk, aren't you?" Flack teased lightly._

_Adam chuckled. "I have my moments," he remarked casually. "My point is, she may not get the entirety of the, uh, guilt part of the equation, but she'd get the loss. You, uh, y-you mentioned she was an alcoholic, right?"_

_Flack nodded somberly._

_Adam let the silence finish his thought as he took another drink from his bottle._

"_Do you really think…" Flack started._

"_I find you in here at least every two weeks," Adam stated. "I-I mean, I get it. But…"_

"_You're in here every two weeks too, you know."_

_Adam nodded. "I know."_

_Flack took a drink before furrowing his brow. "Why do you bother?"_

_Adam looked up from his beer. "Huh?"_

"_I mean, you're really the only one chasin' me down. Why?"_

_Adam shrugged. "Because you're too good a person for this. In a lab that's filled with everyone focusing on their own problems… I mean, i-it almost feels like you're being left out in the shuffle."_

"_But…" Flack began before pausing. "No offense, but why you?"_

_Adam simply shook his head, staring out across the bar._

* * *

Flack scrubs his hands over his face as the shower steams up in the lab's locker room. He takes off his shirt, the red one he had changed into after passing his clothes off to Mac and Hawkes to process. He moves toward the mirror, staring at his reflection.

One of a broken man.

On the one hand, Flack knows he's miles away from the man he was months ago. The one that Adam felt the need to reach out to in the first place. On the other, Flack sees that he still has miles to go before everything's okay again.

But, such is the curse of a broken heart.

He strips off the remainder of his clothes, stepping into the warm shower. The stream beats down on the stiff muscles of his shoulders, the ones that are tired and strained from all the weight they've been carrying lately. He shifts his head side to side, loosening up the tightness in his neck.

He hopes the water washes away not just the remnants of blood that managed to seep through his clothes, not just the horrific images of another fallen colleague, but also his regrets and wasted years.

_**

* * *

**_

Two and a Half Months Ago

_Flack made his way down the hall, balancing a box of pizza and a bag of wings. He knocked swiftly on the door with a hand he managed to unbury from the food he was bringing._

"_One second," Adam called out from the other side._

_Flack internally groaned, but said nothing as the sadness and anger in Adam's voice registered in his head._

_A moment later, the lock clicked, and Adam swung the door open. "Huh," he said, more mystified than anything else. "Didn't expect this. Come on in."_

_Flack stepped in quietly as Adam took the wings off the pizza box. "I figured I'd change the game a little."_

_Adam forced a small smile. "Well, I would say it's healthier, but pizza and wings are full of cholesterol."_

_Flack chuckled softly, placing the pizza box on the kitchen counter. "Where's Stewart?"_

_Adam shrugged, placing the bag down next to the box. "He's around somewhere. Give him a minute, though, and he'll be at your feet."_

_Sure enough, a moment later, Stewart came bounding out of what Flack assumed to be Adam's bedroom and skidded to a halt at Flack's feet._

"_You could set your watch by him," Adam commented lightly as he dug the container of wings out of the bag._

"_I can see that," Flack said, reaching down to pet the dog gently. "Did he come because someone else was here, or did he come for the food?"_

_Adam shrugged again. "That one, I haven't figured out yet."_

_Flack smiled. "So, I figured there was somethin' we could do tonight."_

"_Uh, yeah. I mean, it's better than what I thought we'd be doing tonight. We could watch the game?"_

_Flack shook his head with a smirk. "You suggest that every time I come over here."_

_Adam tilted his head. "You like sports, right?"_

"_Yeah, but I do have other interests."_

"_Sorry," Adam apologized softly. "I, uh, I didn't really think about it."_

_Flack furrowed his brow. "Somethin' wrong?" he asked the younger man tentatively._

_Adam quickly shook his head. "I'm fine."_

_Flack gave the younger man a concerned look._

* * *

Flack steps out of the shower to find Stella standing there, waiting for him. "What's up?" he asks, worry creeping in.

"I had a few more questions," she says softly, sitting down on the bench.

"Go for it."

"You want me to leave so you can put some clothes on first?"

He shakes his head, grabbing his boxers and heading back into the shower stall. "What's up?" he repeats.

"Lately, you've been closer to Adam than the rest of us," she starts.

"Yeah," he acquiesces, walking back out of the stall in his boxers.

"What have you guys been talking about?"

Flack looks down at his jeans.

_**

* * *

**_

Still Two and a Half Months Ago

"_You sure you're okay?" Flack asked, still watching Adam with concern._

"_Yeah," Adam replied, taking the container of wings over to the coffee table with Stewart following behind. Adam picked the puppy up and walked him down the hall, despite his constant whining._

_Flack watched from the kitchen._

"_Make yourself comfortable," Adam instructed as he walked back down the hall after putting Stewart in the bedroom and closing the door._

_Flack furrowed his brow._

"_If I didn't put him in there, there would've been drool and hair all over the food."_

_Flack nodded slightly._

_Adam walked back into the kitchen, pulling out two glasses and some napkins. "So, I have water, juice, and Coke," he said, opening his fridge. "What would you like?"_

"_Uh, Coke's fine," Flack said._

_Adam nodded, pouring two glasses from the bottle._

"_You sure you're okay?" Flack asked again._

"_Here you go," Adam said, handing Flack a glass before grabbing the pizza box and moving it next to the wings on the coffee table._

"_Adam…"_

"_I, uh, I don't really want to talk about it." Adam made himself comfortable on the chair, and Flack sat down on the couch._

"_How bad is it?"_

"_Just… a phone call."_

"_Who?"_

"_No one important." Adam picked up a piece of pizza, taking a small bite._

"_S'important to you," Flack said, grabbing a wing. "You're upset."_

_Adam shook his head. "I'm… I'm not really upset. Just… I don't know what to say, that's all."_

"_Who called?"_

* * *

Stella furrows her brow. "Did he ever tell you?" she asks.

"No," Flack replies as he buttons his jeans. "He didn't answer any time I've ever asked, and I didn't really push it too hard."

"Why not?"

Flack shakes his head. "He didn't push me, so I wasn't gonna push him."

Stella sighs softly, but nods. "How are you doing with everything? I feel like we've all kind of been off in our own worlds lately."

"I'm doing okay."

She studies his face for any hint of a lie, and nods when she finds none. "I'm sorry I haven't been that good of a friend lately."

He shakes his head again. "You gave me space. It's okay."

She gives him a small smile and a nod before patting his still bare shoulder. "If there's anything I can do…"

"I'll let you know," he promises quietly.

She nods again, giving him a hug. "Mac told me to tell you that if you'd like, you're welcome to go back to the hospital. Danny said that Adam's still in surgery and Lindsay's still sleeping, so I'm sure he wouldn't mind some company."

He nods. "Call if you need anything."


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: See the first chapter for the disclaimer. The Miami case Flack references is the episode, "Urban Hellraisers" (Season 4, episode 9), and I also don't own that. As always, I hope you guys enjoy, and please review! :D

* * *

Chapter 4

_**Two Months and Thirteen Days Ago**_

_Flack walked into the lab, finding Adam in A/V. He snuck up behind the tech, more interested in what Adam was doing than scaring the kid._

"_What's up, Flack?" Adam asked without turning around._

Busted.

"_I, uh, wanted to talk to you," Flack replied, sitting down next to him._

"_About what?"_

"_First off, you've been hangin' out with Mac too long."_

_Adam chuckled before gesturing in front of him. "Glass walls are good for reflections."_

_Flack smiled lightly, looking around the glass of the room. "Fair enough. What're you up to?"_

"_Just… looking something up."_

_Flack glanced at the screen. "People Search. You're lookin' for someone?"_

"_Uh, kinda."_

"_Look, Adam, I mean it when I say this… it's a two-way street. You can tell me anythin', and it doesn't go anywhere."_

"_Thanks, but, uh, there's nothing to tell. I, uh, heard there was an old friend of mine nearby, and I figured I could catch up with him. That's all."_

_Flack studied Adam cautiously. "You sure?"_

_Adam nodded, keeping his gaze on the computer screen. "If it ever becomes anything else, I'll let you know."_

"_I'm gonna hold you do that."_

_Adam smiled slightly._

* * *

Flack walks into the waiting room, finding Danny thumbing absently through a magazine while Lindsay sleeps. "Nothin' yet?" he asks Danny quietly.

"Sorry," Danny replies, shaking his head and putting down the magazine. "Who would wanna do this to Adam? He's a good kid who stays under people's radars. He barely gets out of the lab, he doesn't do interrogations… he doesn't do anythin' to make people angry with him. So who would do this?"

Flack shakes his head. "Did he talk to you about anythin'?"

Danny scowls as he shakes his head. "I wish, but he hasn't said anythin'. When we've been talkin' lately, he's been askin' about my rehab and stuff. I hadn't noticed if anything was out of the ordinary. Did you?"

Flack shrugs slightly. "Not really."

_**

* * *

**_

Two Months and Seven Days Ago

"_Oh, come on," Flack yelled at the TV._

"_What'd I miss?" Adam asked, walking back from the bathroom._

"_Bad call."_

"_Well, even officials are human."_

"_This comin' from the guy who prefers video games."_

"_Well, sure. Because in the games, you don't get in much trouble if you hit the officials."_

_Flack laughed. "I might have to try that later."_

"_No, if you want to get aggression out, you need to try the _Grand Theft Auto _games."_

"_The ones that teach you how to be a criminal?"_

"_And how to pick up hookers," Adam pointed out._

_Flack shook his head with a smile._

"_Besides, it's not violent games that teach kids how to be violent," Adam said. "It doesn't even teach them that violence is okay, because the police will bust you if they see you do it. Kids have to have that violence already installed in their moral fiber before they'll do it in real life. Well, either that or be desperate."_

"_What about that case in Miami four years ago where the kids were acting out the game?" Flack countered._

"_Desperate kids with violence in their moral fibers."_

"_You goin' for another Master's degree?"_

_Adam chuckled. "One thesis was enough, thank you. I'm just saying. I mean, the ones more likely prone to violence are ones who grew up in broken homes where violence was all they knew. Or psychopaths. Or both. Just because you have one risk factor doesn't mean you'll become the statistic."_

_Flack furrowed his eyebrows._

* * *

Lindsay stretches as she wakes up, finding Danny back to reading a magazine and Flack staring at his folded hands. She rubs her hands over her eyes before giving Flack a confused look. "Don?" she asks.

"Hmm?" he replies, looking up at her.

"What're you thinking about?"

Flack shakes his head. "Nothin' really. Just worried about Adam."

She nods. "Me too. How… how did he look?"

He shrugs. "Not good. He's a fighter, though."

"Yeah." She pinches the bridge of her nose as Danny flips the page. "Who would do this to him?"

Both men shrug wordlessly.

"Did anyone else notice that he'd seem a bit distracted lately?" she asks, looking first at her husband, then Flack.

"I wish I had, but I didn't," Danny says, looking to Flack.

"I don't know," Flack says. "Maybe. About two and a half months ago, he was lookin' for someone. He said it was an old friend, but I'm not so sure. He promised he'd say somethin' if it became anythin', but he never did, so I assumed everythin' was fine."

"Who was he lookin' for?"

"He never said anythin' more than an old friend. He seemed a little nervous about it, too, but… he never said anythin' more, so I figured he'd handled it."

Flack doesn't have to add how he now feels that was the wrong assumption.

_**

* * *

**_

Still Two Months and Seven Days Ago

"_What do you mean?" Flack asked._

"_What do I mean about what?" Adam replied._

"_You said, 'just because you have one risk factor doesn't mean you'll become the statistic.' What do you mean?"_

"_Exactly what I said. Risk factors are just that- risks. Factors that mean you _could_ develop something. Doesn't mean you'll definitely get it. Not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer."_

_Flack shook his head. "You know that's not what I meant."_

_Adam squirmed slightly. "I… I guess y-you might say that I'm someone who might fall into that statistic. I mean, i-if my life had gone a little di-differently…"_

_Flack rubbed his chin. "What happened?"_

"_M-my dad was a bully."_

_Flack's posture softened as he tilted his head._

"_I… I really don't like talking about it," Adam said, his voice a little stronger._

_Flack nodded. "I understand," he said._

_They fell silent for the moment as Stewart jumped up on the cushion next to Adam, resting his head on Adam's leg. Adam reached down and scratched Stewart behind the ears while Flack looked down._

"_He was an alcoholic," Adam said suddenly._

_Flack looked over at Adam, but said nothing._

"_He… he liked to beat on us wh-when he was drunk. Me… my m-mom… e-everyone he could get his hands on. And… I always just… just t-tried to stay in the middle. O-out of the way, b-but in the middle. I-I didn't want to get h-hurt, but I… I didn't want my family t-to get hurt either."_

_Flack nodded as Adam fell silent, looking down at the dog in his lap. "Is that what you meant last month?" he asked softly._

"_Huh?" Adam replied, looking up._

"_You said you were someone who'd always been on the other side. Is that what you'd meant?"_

_Adam didn't answer, but Flack didn't need him to._

"_I, uh, I'm sorry I put you in that position," Flack said._

"_Don't worry about it," Adam dismissed._

_Flack shook his head. "It wasn't right."_

"_You didn't know."_

_Flack shrugged, sighing. "I… I've never been good at dealin' with death. I mean, we see so much of it every day, but… when it happens to you… when you lose someone you care about… I've never been good at dealin' with that."_

_Adam said nothing, just watching Flack as Stewart moved over next to the older man._

"_When… when I lost Jess… it felt like I'd lost a huge part of my life. I just… I couldn't really think of anythin' but catching her killer and killing the bastard. And then… it ate at me. Drinking made it numb. Made me feel worse sometimes, too. But it numbed it. I just… I don't deal well with those things."_

"_You can fix everyone's problems but your own?" Adam suggested._

_Flack quirked one shoulder up and down. "I guess," he replied._

"_You've always been good at helping Danny out. Or anyone else who's needed it. You're good with families."_

_Flack bobbed his eyebrows up and down, but said nothing._

"_It's easier to fix everyone else than it is to fix yourself."_

* * *

The doctor walks over to the assembled group, standing before them. "He's out of surgery," he says softly.

"How's he doin'?" Danny asks.

"Remarkably well, considering. The stab wounds weren't as deep as we feared, but he did lose a lot of blood. Despite that, he is in serious but stable condition. He should pull through, though."

The group exhales a community sigh of relief.

"He is upstairs right now, resting," the doctor continues. "We'll let you visit with him tomorrow, but he needs to rest right now."

"Of course," Danny says. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome. Take care."

The doctor walks away, leaving the three of them to move onto the crime lab for the night.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: We're at the half-way point! See the first chapter for the disclaimer. As always, I hope you enjoy, and please review. :D

* * *

Chapter 5

_**Two Months Ago**_

_Adam waited patiently as Flack pulled the door open, phone pressed between his shoulder and ear. He nodded at Adam, stepping out of the way to let the younger man pass._

Sorry,_ he mouthed, and Adam simply nodded._

"_What do you want me to say?" he said into the phone, gesturing at the stuff on the counter and mouthing, _help yourself_._

_Adam nodded, mouthing, _who is it?

_Flack shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you, Sam," he said into the phone._

_Adam nodded again, walking over to the counter to see what Flack had made for dinner._

"_Sam, I gotta go."_

_Adam glanced up at Flack._

"_No, I'm not tryin' to get rid of you. I have company."_

_Adam furrowed his brow, wondering if both of those were mutually exclusive._

"_Yeah."_

_Adam looked back to the pasta on the counter._

"_I love you too."_

_Adam bit his lip quietly._

"_Night."_

_Adam watched Flack hang up the phone, but didn't say anything._

"_I'm sorry about that," the older detective said._

"_Don't worry about it," Adam replied, smiling._

"_She called while I was cooking, and she was upset, so I was just tryin' to be a good big brother."_

"_She's lucky to have you."_

_Flack scoffed lightly._

* * *

The next morning, Flack walks into Adam's room, finding the younger man still sleeping. He takes a seat in the chair next to the bed, just watching Adam breathing. Flack sighed, leaning back in the chair slightly before closing his eyes.

Fatigue sets in as Flack finally rests for the first time since Adam's attack. All the extra effort hasn't gotten the team much closer to an answer, as the only witness they have is the man lying in the bed before Flack. And as Adam sleeps, Flack relaxes, waiting for the younger man to wake up.

But not before Flack falls asleep himself.

_**

* * *

**_

Still Two Months Ago

"_So, what was she upset about?" Adam asked as the two sat down at Flack's table with their plates._

"_She has her good days and her bad days," Flack replied, somewhat evasively._

_Adam nodded. "Alcoholism is a physically psychological disease."_

_Flack furrowed his brow. "I thought you said you weren't a psychology major."_

"_I'm not. Call it first-hand knowledge."_

_Flack nodded, remembering their conversation from a week ago. "I've never really heard you talk all that much about your family."_

_Adam shrugged. "Not much to say," he said simply._

"_Where are they now?"_

_Adam shook his head. "I haven't heard from them in a while."_

"_You have siblings?"_

"_A younger brother and a younger sister."_

_Flack smirked, thinking about Sam. "So, you understand," he said._

"_Pretty much," Adam replied._

"_What do they do?"_

_Adam shook his head slowly. "I'm not sure."_

"_Did you cut them off, or did they cut you off?"_

_Adam shrugged again. "I think it was a bit of both. We just… went our separate ways."_

_Flack nodded, taking a bite of pasta._

"_You have more than one sibling, right?" Adam asked, picking up a piece of garlic bread._

"_Yeah," Flack responded. "Sam's the youngest. I got an older brother, too, Kevin."_

"_What does he do?"_

"_He's a lawyer. Moved upstate not that long ago, after his wife got pregnant."_

_Adam nodded, saying nothing._

"_I always hoped I'd be like that someday," Flack said._

"_What, married with a family?" Adam replied._

_Flack nodded._

"_There's still time. Unless there's something else you're not telling me."_

_Flack shook his head. "It's just that, with our job, it's hard to meet people, you know?" he said. "I'm always suspicious. And even when we do meet someone… I don't know. I thought things would be different with Jess, but…"_

"_What happened to her was never your fault," Adam said. "No matter how guilty you feel."_

"_Yeah, I know," Flack replied, shrugging. "I just always thought I could've done more."_

"_You can't save everyone, Flack."_

* * *

Flack wakes up, furrowing his eyebrows. His confusion is more over the memory/dream that he woke up from more than where he is waking up. He stares at Adam, who is still asleep in the bed before him, wondering if the younger man knows more than Flack is giving him credit for.

Did Adam sense he was in trouble two months ago? Should Flack have seen the signs then? What has Adam been hiding all this time? Why didn't he tell them? Or, did what happened on the street have nothing to do with any of that?

Could this have been prevented?

_**

* * *

**_

Still Two Months Ago

"_What's that supposed to mean?" Flack asked curiously._

"_Nothing," Adam evaded easily. "Just what it is."_

_Flack furrowed his brow. "Are you sure you're not in any trouble?"_

_Adam smiled slightly. "I promised you that I'd tell you if I was. And, if nothing else, I'm a man of my word."_

_Flack nodded, putting on a straight face to hide the doubt bubbling underneath his skin._

"_What makes you so sure that something's wrong?" Adam asked, tilting his head._

"_I'm not," Flack replied easily._

"_Then why do you keep asking me if I'm in trouble?"_

"_I don't know. It just seems like you're worried about somethin'."_

_Adam shook his head. "Nothing besides my friends."_

"_Which friends?"_

"_Danny, Lindsay, you."_

_Flack shook his head. "I'm fine."_

_Adam snorted softly. "You have your good days and your bad days."_

_Flack shrugged, choosing to curtail the conversation rather than extend it. "Don't we all?"_

* * *

Flack twists his neck slightly, cracking it softly. He shifts, readjusting his position in the chair as he yawns. Unbeknownst to him, a set of eyes are watching quietly.

"Tired?" a soft voice says.

Flack glances over.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm so sorry for the slow updates. Just a lot going on. There's only three chapters left after this one. I hope you guys enjoy it, and please review! :D

* * *

Chapter 6

_**One Month and Two Weeks Ago**_

_Stewart curled up with his head on Flack's lap as the older man sat on the couch. He whined softly, and Flack scratched the puppy behind the ears, hoping to quell some of the worry inside the small dog._

_Or maybe he was trying to quell his own._

_The door to the apartment creaked open, and Stewart picked his head up hopefully. Adam stumbled in tiredly, closing the door behind him. Stewart jumped off the couch, rushing to greet his owner on his return._

"_Hey, buddy," Adam greeted Stewart tiredly, rubbing the puppy's head. "Sorry I'm late. I had something I had to take care of. But I'm sure you don't want to hear about that…"_

"_I do," Flack said softly, causing Adam's attention to jump from the dog to the couch._

_Adam sighed, shaking his head. "Hey. I'm sorry, I forgot you were coming over."_

"_It's fine. What did you have to take care of?"_

"_Annual physical. God, I hate those things." Adam put his bag down on the kitchen counter, dropping his keys onto the table._

"_Me too," Flack dismissed with a shrug._

"_The doctor tells me he's worried about the fact that my temperature's only 96, because it's really low. So I tell him if he were to warm New York City up, I wouldn't have that problem."_

_Flack chuckled softly as Stewart padded around the kitchen, looking for food._

"_So, how long were you waiting?" Adam asked._

"_Long enough for Mrs. Sampson to let me in," Flack replied._

_Adam shook his head. "She always does that. Only for me, and only you guys from work."_

"_Because she trusts people with a badge."_

"_That, and she knows where I work."_

"_So, how come she has a key?"_

"_She watches Stewart for me during the day," Adam said. "Pizza or Chinese?"_

* * *

"Tired?"

Flack glances over to find Adam watching him, albeit through tired eyes. "I should be askin' you the same thing," Flack replies. "How're you feelin'?"

"I'm alright. Drugs are good."

"Yeah, be careful with those."

Adam nods slowly.

"You feel up to answerin' some questions?"

Adam nods again, yawning.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Adam shrugs gently. "I don't really remember," he says softly.

Flack picks up on the hesitance in his voice, and he can't tell if that's because Adam really doesn't know, or he really doesn't want to talk about it. "That's okay," the older detective says gently. "Just tell me whatever you do remember."

Adam closes his eyes, and Flack half-wonders if trying to get information about the attack out of Adam is going to be harder than trying to get any information out of Mac.

"It was dark," Adam starts slowly. "C-cold. I was w-walking… I, uh, I got hit f-from behind. I don't r-remember too much after that. Just… just you showing up. And the kn-knife."

"Did you see the guy who did this?"

Adam quickly shakes his head. "I-it was t-too dark. H-he had a hat on… b-black, I th-think. I-I really don't remember much else about him."

Flack nods, scribbling down Adam's answers in the notebook he'd brought with him.

"I-I'm sorry, F-Flack," Adam says, folding his shaking hands across his chest.

"It's okay," Flack replies. "It's tough stuff. You're doin' great."

Adam nods briefly before exhaling slowly, working out some of his nerves. "I, uh, I think I wanna get some sleep."

"Sure," Flack acknowledges, rising from the chair. "I'm gonna run into the lab. Is there anythin' we can get you?"

Adam shakes his head again, yawning.

"Alright, man. Take it easy. I'll drop by later."

Adam nods, watching through exhausted slits as Flack leaves the room.

_**

* * *

**_

Still One Month and Two Weeks Ago

"_So, what did you want to talk about tonight?" Adam asked as he settled onto what Flack now understood to be his chair. "I-I mean, that's what you were coming over for, right?"_

"_I don't really know," Flack replied. "What to talk about, I mean. What can I say that I haven't said already?"_

"_I don't know. That's up to you. But I highly doubt I know your entire life story after only three months."_

_Flack smirked. "Yeah, like you want to know my life story."_

"_Oh, I'm fascinated," Adam deadpanned with a smile._

"_Smart ass."_

_Adam just smirked._

"_What about you? Your life story?"_

"_I don't really have one," Adam said, shrugging._

"_Everyone has one," Flack countered._

"_Not one I feel like talking about."_

"_That doesn't mean you don't have one."_

"_Now who's being philosophical?"_

_Adam smiled slightly. "I think of neither of us wants to talk, we should just watch TV."_

"_Fine by me," Flack said, shrugging._

_Adam tossed Flack the remote, indicating for the older man to find something while Adam got up and walked out of the room. Flack glanced over at Stewart, who watched Adam briefly before looking back at Flack. He hopped up besides Flack on the couch, resting his head against the older man's leg. Flack responded by petting the dog's head while flicking on the TV._

* * *

"He say anything?" Mac asks as Flack as the younger detective makes his way into the lab.

"Doesn't remember much of anythin'," Flack replies. "Or, at least nothin' he's admitting to."

"You think he's holding back?"

Flack sighs, nodding toward Mac's office. Mac nods himself, and the two men walk into the glass room.

"I've been talkin' with him more over the last few months," Flack says as he sits on the couch.

"I know," Mac replies, leaning against his desk.

"And, I didn't read too much into it at the time, because the thought never occurred to me that Adam _could_ be in trouble. And, maybe it was just me bein' selfish, but I didn't want to think there was really somethin' wrong. Not that I wouldn't have listened if he wanted to talk, but he never did."

"Don," Mac interrupts softly. "This isn't your fault."

"I know," Flack replies. "I just keep thinkin' that maybe there was somethin' I could've done for him. I should've pushed him to talk."

"Why didn't you?"

"He really wasn't pushin' me, so I was just returning the favor."

Mac nods, looking down toward his feet.

Flack sighs. "I also… I guess I didn't think a kid like Adam could really get himself into too much trouble, you know? He's a good kid who keeps his nose clean. He doesn't really get out of the lab much. His family's not around here…"

"You know that for sure?" Mac asks, furrowing his brow.

"I didn't check," Flack admits. "But, I don't get it. Adam's been livin' here for a while. If they were gonna do somethin', why wait until now?"

Mac shakes his head.

_**

* * *

**_

Still One Month and Two Weeks Ago

"_So, what're we watching tonight?" Adam asked as he sat down again._

"_Dunno," Flack replied. "Nothin' really good on. No games, either."_

_Adam smirked at what had become their inside joke._

"_Got any movies?"_

_Adam chuckled. "The easier question is what movie don't I have," he replied._

"_If you tell me you have _The Princess Diaries_, we're gonna have to have a serious conversation," Flack cautioned._

_Adam laughed, slightly nervously._

"_You're kiddin' me, right?"_

"_Danny's idea of a birthday present a few years ago," Adam explained. "After the Idiotrun case."_

_Flack chuckled, recalling how Danny teased Adam for months about being out in the cold. "You haven't gotten rid of it yet?"_

"_I'm thinking of the right time to re-gift it. Maybe for Lucy's first birthday."_

_Flack shook his head. "That's not nice, re-gifting a movie for a kid."_

_Adam shrugged. "But giving it to Danny for his birthday right now would be mean."_

"_Yeah," Flack sighed softly as both of their thoughts turned to their paralyzed colleague._

"_He says he's making some improvements," Adam said._

"_Yeah."_

"_It's just… that could've been any of us, you know?"_

_Flack nodded._

"_Any time… any day. I mean, that c-could happen to any of us. And, I know I don't get out of the lab much, but I don't exactly have a good track record."_

"_That's true," Flack said, thinking back to the hostage situation of a few years ago. And the one time Adam was in interrogation. Things didn't work out too well when Adam left the lab…_

* * *

"Did he say anything before that made you think he was in trouble?" Mac asks.

"I don't know," Flack replies. "I guess… maybe."

Mac furrows his brow. "What is it?"

"A couple months ago, he got a phone call before I got to his place. Whoever was on the other end, it kinda shook him up. He wouldn't say who, though. Next day, he was lookin' someone, said it was an old friend. Told me if it ever became somethin' else, he'd tell me."

"But he never did."

Flack shakes his head. "No. And then he started talkin' about not bein' a statistic, that if his life had gone a different way, maybe he would've. I don't know. We've both been sayin' a lot of different things lately…"

"Statistic?"

"You know, kid grows up in a broken home, ends up just as broken as their parent."

Mac nods slowly. "Adam's father."

"We know anythin' about him?" Flack asks.

Mac shakes his head. "The scattered things Adam's mentioned."

"You mean to tell me you never looked him up?"

Mac eyes Flack knowingly.

"You have, and you didn't talk about it for Adam's sake," Flack deduces.

Mac gives the slightest nod.

Flack frowns. "Could his family have somethin' to do with this?"


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm sorry, I'm bad with sticking to an update schedule. My sincerest apologies. See the first chapter for the disclaimer. As always, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and please review. :)

* * *

Chapter 7

_**One Month Ago**_

_Adam yawned, reclining in his chair as he watched TV through tired slits. Flack looked over at him quietly. "You gonna fall asleep on me, Princess?" he asked._

"_I make no promises," Adam replied._

"_Why you so tired lately? Got a new girlfriend or somethin'?"_

_Adam laughed, turning to face Flack. "Don't you think you'd know by now if that were the case? I mean, I probably would've stopped hanging out with you so much."_

_Flack chuckled. "I don't think I'd _want_ to be here if you had a girlfriend over. Although, she might help you with your decoratin' style."_

"_Now, what's wrong with my apartment?"_

"_Nothin' really. Just a little too neat and a little impersonal."_

"_This coming from the guy whose kitchen table is more like a folding table."_

"_There's nothing wrong with my kitchen table."_

_Adam rolled his eyes, turning toward the TV and putting his back to Flack. "Keep telling yourself that."_

_Stewart plodded into the room, twirling in circles before plopping down in front of Flack on the couch._

"_How come he always does that?" Flack asked, gesturing at the dog._

"_Probably because you feed him table food every time you're here," Adam replied, yawning._

_Flack feigned his best offense. "What makes you think I feed him table food?"_

_Adam turned to look at Flack. "I'm not blind."_

_Flack attempted to maintain his innocence, a trick that would've worked had Stewart not looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Your dog's just like you," Flack remarked casually._

"_Because he ratted you out?" Adam clarified. "Or because he expects you to feed him chips from the bowl on the table?"_

_Flack chose to take a supine position on the couch rather than answer._

* * *

"Danny," Flack says, making his way into the detective's office.

"What's up?" Danny replies, catching Lindsay's attention as well.

"I need you to do me a favor."

"Name it."

"Run out Adam's family. Parents, siblings, anyone."

"You think his family had something to do with this?" Lindsay asks as Mac walks in.

"I don't know, maybe," Flack replies. "How long do we store searches in our system?"

"If you're wondering who Adam was searching for a couple of months ago, I can't tell. Only administrators can look into that."

Flack glances over at Mac.

"When you get the information, Danny, we'll be in my office," Mac says.

"Actually, I need to do something," Flack says. "I'll be back in a bit."

Mac eyes Flack, but nods as the young detective makes his way out of the office.

_**

* * *

**_

Still One Month Ago

_Flack glanced over, finding Adam quasi-sleeping on the chair. He furrowed his brow, wondering if he should wake him up or let him sleep. The position Adam was in wasn't going to be comfortable later, but Adam also didn't look like he'd been sleeping much._

_Flack looked down at Stewart, figuring Adam's genius dog would have some insight. Instead, he found the dog to be asleep as well. Flack shook his head as he snatched the remote off the table, turned the volume down on the TV, and changed the channel to an old movie as the apartment's owners slept._

_Had it been a few weeks ago, the situation would've made Flack feel rather awkward. But after talking with Adam as much as he had, he almost felt like he was hanging out with Danny, back when the two of them were single guys watching games and drinking beer. Granted, hanging out with Adam was a different beast entirely, but that sort of comfort level was there… kinda._

_For Flack, it was like having a journal, in that whatever he said to Adam stayed between them. And yet, Adam was rather insightful, almost philosophical, and though he may not have had Flack's years of experiences, the kid definitely had his own problems. But what bothered Flack about the situation was that Adam didn't really ever talk about them._

_Maybe Adam was more like Flack's therapist…_

_Flack's thoughts were broken by a loud thud, followed by a whimper._

* * *

Flack makes his way upstairs, reaching a door on the hallway. After a soft knock and a few minutes, the door opens, and Mrs. Sampson smiles. "Hello, Donald," she says cheerfully.

"Hi, Mrs. Sampson," he greets. "You got a minute?"

"For your beautiful blue eyes and dimples, you bet I do."

Flack blushes slightly. "I need to get into Adam's apartment. And I figured, since you have the key, maybe you might help me?"

"Oh, of course. Come on in while I get it."

She disappears into the apartment, and Flack makes his way inside the door.

"Is something going on over there, Donald?" she asks from the depths of her apartment.

"What makes you say that?" he replies.

"Well, poor Stewart's been whining up a storm over there. I've had to run some errands today, though, so I didn't get a chance to get over there and check on him. I was just about to head over there and take him for a walk and see if he needed any water or anything, because he's been banging things around in there. Well, I was going to check on him as soon as I finished the quilt I'm making for my granddaughter. I'm almost done. Just need a few touches, and I can have it to her before she goes back to college for the semester." She reappears holding the keys. "Here we are."

"Thanks, Mrs. Sampson. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, not a problem." She shuffles out of her apartment, and Flack follows behind her. "You never answered my question," she says, stopping at Adam's door.

"I'm sorry," Flack says. "What question was that?"

"Is something wrong with Adam?"

"He's in the hospital right now."

"Oh, dear. What happened? Is he okay? Well, of course he's not okay, he's in the hospital. Oh, I should've taken Stewart in last night, taken care of him. I didn't realize Adam wasn't coming home. What happened to him?"

Flack shifts uncomfortably, not wanting to answer that question but knowing he owes it to her. "He was mugged last night on his way home from work."

She gasps. "By who?"

"We don't know yet."

She nods. "And you're hoping you'll find something in his apartment?"

Flack shrugs. "I don't know. I'm also checkin' in on Stewart."

"Right," she says, opening Adam's door. "Well, here you are, dear. Tell me, what hospital is he in? Can I go visit him?"

"I'm sure he'd like that," Flack replies, stepping into Adam's apartment. He pulls out one of his cards, writing the information on the back. "Thank you. If you can think of anything that might help us out, please give me a call."

"Actually, there is one thing."

Flack furrows his brow. "What's that?"

"Now, I know this is probably just a coincidence, but ever since I've seen you coming around, I've noticed something's different with him. I asked him about it a couple of times, but he said it was a personal thing, wouldn't really talk about it. I figure maybe you might know more about it than I do, but I thought I should mention it. Although, he really has been a little strange since the shooting in that bar, the one where his friend got paralyzed? I saw him bring an older, but very pretty, brunette upstairs with him once for the night. I've seen her before too. He said he worked with her, but that it was just a one night thing."

Flack arches his eyebrows to try to hide his amused smile.

"I haven't seen her since," Mrs. Sampson continues. "She seemed like a nice woman, but if it's just a one-night thing, he should really know better. And really be more careful. I mean, who knows what she could do to him, you know?"

"Did the woman have curly hair?" Flack probes.

"Yes, she did. Very lovely."

"Trust me, Mrs. Sampson, she's not gonna hurt him."

"Oh, so she really does work with him? He wasn't lying to me?"

"Nope," Flack agrees, smirking.

"Oh, good," she says. "I worry about him, you know? Living alone in the city. Of course, I do too ever since Theodore passed away four years ago, but I've always got my trusty Winchester to help me if things get hairy."

Flack nods, not at all surprised at the image of Mrs. Sampson with a rifle.

"Anyways, I'll let you do whatever you came here for," she finishes. "Don't forget to say goodbye before you leave, Donald."

"I won't, Mrs. Sampson. Thank you again."

"Not a problem."

_**

* * *

**_

Still One Month Ago

_Adam pushed himself up off the floor and retreated to the bathroom before Flack could even move an inch. He furrowed his brow, watching as Stewart plodded slowly behind his owner. After a few moments, the two returned, and Flack was still confused._

"_You okay?" he asked gently._

"_Yeah," Adam replied. "Guess I forgot I was sleeping on the couch and rolled off. That floor's pretty hard."_

_Flack nodded as Adam rummaged through his freezer for an ice pack before placing against his hip and walking back to the couch._

"_So, what'd I miss?" Adam asked, looking back at the TV._

"_Not too much," Flack said, shaking his head at Adam's quick dismissal. "_Bonnie and Clyde_ just started."_

* * *

Flack closes the door behind him, immediately taking in the broken furniture and appliances within Adam's apartment. He frowns, stepping deeper into the living room. _No way in hell Stewart did this_, he thinks.

"Stewart?" he calls out, and is surprised to see the dog poke his head out from a pile of debris in the kitchen. The panicked puppy looks up at him, presumably for answers, which Flack doesn't exactly have right now. "C'mere, bud."

The dog pads over, standing beside him while Flack clips the leash on the collar. He loops the leash on the door handle, and Stewart chooses that moment to become vocal.

"Hey, it's okay," Flack tells him. "I'm just gonna look around a bit."

This seems to silence the pup, who sits on the floor against the door.

Flack takes a couple steps further, finding broken glass under the window with the fire escape. He draws his gun, walking slowly toward the hallway of the apartment as Stewart begins whining from the door. Flack ignores the dog, moving to check the bathroom. As he steps in, a bar connects with his skull.

He is out before he even hits the floor.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: See the first chapter for the disclaimer. The line Adam sings is from "Glitter in the Air" by Pink, which I also don't own and am not associated with. Adam also references the episode Green Piece. I should mention here that there's one more chapter after this one. I hope you enjoy it, and please review. :)

* * *

Chapter 8

_**Two Weeks Ago**_

_Flack scrubbed his hand over his face as the annoying buzzing noise refused to stop. He glanced over at the clock, which read 2:30 a.m. Groaning, he finally walked over to the intercom, depressing the button before saying, "Yeah?"_

"_Heya, Don!" Adam's cheerful, slurred voice responded._

_Flack furrowed his brow, trying to recall if he left a wake-up call for the drunken, science-nerdy, bearded fairy. "Adam?_

"_Yeppers!"_

"_What the hell, dude? Do you know what time it is?"_

"_Half past the point of olbivion," Adam sang at the top of his lungs, yet only the teeniest bit off-key. "The hourglass on the table, the walk before the run. The breath before the kiss, and the fear before the phrase, have you ever felt this wayyyyyy?"_

_Flack shook his head, reasoning it'd be better for Adam to come up and crash on his couch than try to stumble the distance home. He buzzed the lab tech in, and waited._

_Just waited._

* * *

Flack comes to on Adam's bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood, and with a massive headache. On shaky hands, he pushes himself up slowly, leaning heavily against the tub. He reaches for his phone, trying to make the dizzy dots go away as he dials a familiar number.

"_Taylor,"_ the other man says.

"Mac, it's Don," Flack manages, wondering if Mac can hear just how out of it he is.

"_Don? You okay?"_

_That answers that question_, Flack thinks. "I got a problem."

"_Where are you?"_

"Adam's place."

"_Hang tight. We'll be there soon."_

"Okay. Mrs. Sampson's next door with the key. Tell her Donald sent you."

As he hangs up, he realizes that Adam's keys are with them in the lab. He sighs softly, leaning against the cool porcelain of the bathtub and letting the dots take over.

_**

* * *

**_

Still Two Weeks Ago

_The knock on the door was loud, and sounded a little more like someone falling into a door than a knock. Flack looked through the peephole as Adam giggled on the other side. Sighing, he undid the locks on the door before opening it and catching the still giggling Adam._

"_Hiya!" Adam said, struggling to stand on his own two feet._

"_Hi," Flack replied, assisting the stumbling lab tech to the couch._

"_Whasssuuuuuuup?" Adam laughed harder, swinging his right arm over the back of the couch and his left arm down to the floor._

"_I was about to ask you that," Flack said as he sat down in his chair._

"_M'celebratin'."_

"_What are you celebrating?"_

_Adam smiled. "Being alife. Or something. M'not too sure what I'm cebelratin' anymore… WHAT UUUUP?"_

"_Shhh, you don't wanna wake my neighbors."_

_Adam's eyes went wide. "Ooohhhhhh, yeah… 'cuz it's late and shtuff."_

_Flack nodded, rubbing his hand under his eye as he stood up and headed toward the kitchen._

"_You's don'ts have a shirt on," Adam commented as Flack started to make coffee._

"_Nothin' gets by you, does it?" Flack said._

_Adam giggled. "Nope, nope, nope! That's why I make a daaaaaaammn good hockey goalie."_

"_Oh yeah?"_

"_Mmmmmhmmmmm. I was totally kickin' ass before I got blowed up."_

_Flack knit his eyebrows together in confusion. "You got blown up?" he asked._

"_Yeeeeaaaaah…" Adam said, nodding almost proudly. "Don't you remember? T'was right before Montana left for Lindsay."_

_Flack paused, deciphering what Adam was trying to say, before nodding. "Right. I remember now. So, you're a good goalie then, huh?"_

"_The best-italy-estest!" Adam laughed again, grabbing one of the pillows on the couch and snuggling it to his chest. "Why would someone think m'a bomba?"_

"_What?" Flack asked, trying to keep up with Adam's logic and failing._

"_The FBI and DHS and EVERYONE else that has tree letters in their agency name," Adam explained. "Why would they think I'd blow somethin' up? M'not a bobmer. M'name's not Mac Taylor." Adam giggled. "Remember all the Mac Taylors we found? Holy shit, dude."_

_Flack nodded, smiling._

"_There's six Don Flack's. Stella and I, we looked up everyone… although, now I guess there's only one Lindsay Monroe-Messer. There's ten Danny Messers, though…" Adam snickered. "Don't tell Danny that."_

"_I won't," Flack promised as he poured out two mugs of coffee. "What do you like in your coffee?"_

"_Sugar and milk s'fine," Adam replied. "You dinn't have to make me coffee."_

"_Might as well." Flack added sugar and milk to one of the mugs, stirring it._

"_I used to get in trouble for drinkin' sugar in ma coffee."_

"_You did?"_

"_Uh huh."_

_Flack brought the two mugs into the living room, passing one to Adam. "Your father?" he asked gently._

"_Uh huh," Adam replied, taking a drink. "This is really good. Can we Irish it up?"_

"_I think you've had enough Irish for the night."_

"_Nuh uh. Dad always said, you can never have too much Irish."_

"_Your father's not always right, you know."_

_Adam laughed, only this time, instead of amusement, the laugh was full of bitterness. "Yeah, right," he breathed. "He always said I'd end up bein' someone else's problem. Which, is what I am right now. 'Cuz I woked you up and just intreupted your night and made you put up with me…" Adam frowned, closing his eyes. "M'sorry, Flack. You don't desserve this. Dealin' wit' ma drunk ass."_

_Flack shook his head. "It's okay. You took care of my drunk ass."_

_Adam violently whipped his head side to side, spilling his mug of coffee in the process. "M'a screw up. M'sorry, m'messin' up your place. I should just go before I break somethin'."_

"_Adam, look at me."_

_Adam opened his tearful eyes, looking at the older man._

"_You're fine," Flack told him, meaning it. "It's okay. You're okay. And all we gotta do is clean up this little spill and get you some sleep, and everything'll be fine. You'll see."_

_Adam nodded slowly._

_Flack took the mug from the younger man's hand before reaching out toward him. "C'mon," he said gently. "Let's get you cleaned up."_

_Adam didn't say anything, but followed Flack anyway._

* * *

Flack rouses as the front door opens, hoping like hell it is a friendly person and not someone who's there to hurt him. "Don?" Mac calls out.

"Mac," Flack replies, finally trusting himself to start to stand. Mac makes his way into the bathroom just as Flack is on his knees.

"Don't move. EMTs are on their way."

"I'm okay," Flack reasons, standing.

Mac scoffs as Flack stumbles. The older detective grabs Flack's arm, steadying him. "What happened?"

"I came in to check on Adam's dog, Stewart, and Mrs. Sampson said that he was bangin' around, but… there was someone here. When I was tryin' to clear the place, I got hit… I don't really know how long I was out. Probably long enough for Stewart to get agitated."

"He's fine," Mac says, guiding Flack toward Adam's living room couch. Stewart immediately bounds over, having been released from the door by Mac, and jumps up on the couch next to Flack and whines.

"I'm okay," Flack tells the puppy, petting him.

Mac looks critically at him.

"Mostly," Flack concedes.

Mac nods.

"Where are we on Adam's case? Besides having to get someone to process his apartment now."

"Let us worry about that," Mac says.

_**

* * *

**_

Thirteen Days Ago

_Adam groaned as he rolled off the couch, landing on Flack's living room floor. He grumbled, pulling himself up and staggering off to where the bathroom would be in his apartment. Unfortunately, in Flack's, that was a wall. He furrowed his brow, looking through hazy slits._

"_Other way," Flack guided gently from the kitchen._

_Adam nodded, staggering into the other direction. A few moments later, he reappeared, frowning. "What did I do last night?" he asked._

"_I've been wonderin' that myself," Flack replied, handing Adam a cup of coffee as he sat down at the table._

"_I don't know why I did that. Did I do anything embarrassing?"_

"_Depends. Embarrassing to you or to me?"_

_Adam groaned._

_Flack smirked. "Don't worry, buddy. You were on your best-italy-estest behavior last night."_

_Adam furrowed his brow._

"_And, you also established that you're not Mac."_

"_Oh, God," Adam breathed. "I'm never gonna get drunk again."_

_Flack chuckled softly, drinking from his coffee._

* * *

Flack tries to swat away the doctors in the ER, but Hawkes makes him follow their orders. After what feels like forever, they finally give Flack clearance to head back to work. Once there, they head to the lab's conference room, where they meet up with Mac and Danny, and Flack's head wound is of new interest.

"What the hell happened?" Danny asks.

"Stewart got the best of me," Flack jokes, nodding at Adam's dog, which has taken up residence in the corner for the time being. Stewart perks up at hearing his name, and pads over to Flack, jumping on the detective's lap. Flack responds by petting the dog. "So, what do we have?"

"We got prints off the pipe that hit you. They matched a Christopher Ross, arrested a few times in Phoenix for drug possession and assault."

"Adam's brother?"

"One in the same. And as far as anyone can tell, Adam hasn't had any contact with him in years, since around the time Adam went off to college."

"So what was he doing in Adam's apartment?"

"Gets better. DNA we lifted off of Adam's clothes came back to Chris as well."

"So, Chris Ross tried to kill his own brother."


	10. Epilogue

A/N: See the first chapter for the disclaimer. Christopher Ross is actually mine. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thank you all for coming along on this journey. As always, I hope you guys enjoy the ending, and please review. :)

* * *

Epilogue

_**The Night of the Attack**_

_Adam walked out of the lab, heading for his apartment. After a long day, all he wanted to do was grab a shower and a good night's sleep. And, knowing that Flack was working late and therefore wouldn't be able to come over, Adam figured he'd be able to get a long night in bed._

_Or at least he hoped, anyway._

_He was minding his own business when he thought he heard someone calling out to him. He turned around, finding Chris standing behind him._

"_I've tried calling you," he said. "Why are you ignoring me?"_

_Adam shrugged. "You just want a hand-out, and I'm sorry, but I have nothing to give you."_

"_How can you say that? To your own brother?"_

_Adam shook his head, battling internally about whether he should just walk away or try to justify himself to his little brother. "I mean it, too, Chris. I'd help you if I could, but I work for the City. It's not exactly a private lab here. I got loans I'm still paying on, rent, bills, not to mention being the low man on the totem pole full of people trying to knock me off. I'm sorry." And with that, Adam turned his back to walk away._

_Chris grabbed Adam roughly, catching the older brother's wrist and twisting it until it broke. "You're a lying sack of shit," Chris said, throwing Adam to the ground. He began kicking Adam repeatedly about the chest and abdomen while the older brother attempted to curl up. Before he could, Chris knelt down beside him. Adam punched Chris as hard as he could in the face, causing the younger brother to have a bloody nose. Chris responded by pulling out his knife and putting it against Adam's throat._

"_Why are you doing this?" Adam coughed._

"_Because," Chris said. "Dad always was right. You always thought you were better than the rest of us. You need to be knocked down a peg."_

"_Chris," Adam plead, blood trickling slightly out of his mouth._

"_Give me your wallet."_

_Adam flinched, but did as ordered, not wanting any more injury. Chris thumbed through it, pulling out the few dollars that Adam had._

"_This is it?" he snapped._

_Adam nodded weakly. "Please, I-I really don't have anything else."_

_Chris half-groaned and half-screamed, stabbing Adam twice in the stomach before getting up off the ground. "You're nothing but a useless coward," Chris growled at his older brother before kicking him one last time in the stomach._

_Out of the corner of his eye, Adam noticed a man running toward them, and Chris swiftly disappeared, as if he'd never been there._

"_Police!" the man running up said, before realizing his target had dispersed into the night. It took a moment before Adam recognized Flack standing over him, and the younger man simply closed his eyes. "Adam? Hang in there, bud."_

"_I'm here," Adam muttered quietly._

"_Yeah, this is Detective Flack," Flack said into the phone as he knelt beside Adam. "I need a bus…"_

* * *

Flack sits in the visitor's chair as Adam finishes making a final statement, following his brother's arrest and subsequent confession. Stella nods, scribbling the last of Adam's words before leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He smiles slightly, and she gives Flack's shoulder a gentle squeeze before walking out of the room.

"Huh, I see you get a kiss, and I just get a squeeze," Flack teases lightly.

"I can't explain that," Adam says, shrugging as he tries to maintain his innocence.

"Oh, you don't need to hide it from me anymore. Mrs. Sampson ratted you out."

Adam blushes. "What are you talking about?"

"She told me all about the pretty, curly-haired brunette that was older than you that came over for a one-night thing."

Adam blushes deeper, and as uncomfortable as he is with this topic, he knows there's something else Flack wants to talk about that's just as sticky.

"Don't worry," Flack says. "Your secret's safe with me."

Adam nods, feeling the blush recede a bit.

"Speaking of secrets…"

"I know," Adam hedges. "I sh-should've told you ab-bout Chris. I just… I didn't think h-he was going to _do_ anything. I knew he w-was desperate, that he needed money, and that he was in the area. I just didn't think he'd f-find me."

"He fell into the statistic you were talking about?" Flack asks gently.

Adam nods, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Adam."

"You know, as much as Sam might get to you, at least she kn-knows she has a problem," Adam tells him.

"I know," Flack replies.

"Chris… he'll d-do anything for the next high."

"Which reminds me, he kinda redecorated your apartment. And I think Stewart's still at the lab, waiting to see who's gonna take him in for the time being. Which'll probably be me, because if he goes home with Messer, you'll never get him back."

Adam chuckles softly. "Yeah, Lucy'll be all over him."

Flack nods, smiling. "That may be the only man Messer ever lets into Lucy's life."

"Oh, yeah. Except her Godfather."

Flack smirks.

Adam shifts, sighing. "I sh-should've told you about Chris when y-you first came in," he says suddenly, jumping topics. "I just didn't w-want you g-going after my brother. He's… he's messed up but… but th-that's b-because I f-failed him."

Flack shakes his head. "You didn't fail him," he tells Adam honestly. "He made his own choices. That's not your fault."

"I j-just wish I could've s-saved him, you know?"

Flack nods sadly, understanding. "Remember what you told me a few months ago?"

Adam shakes his head.

"You can't save everyone."

Adam shrugs. "I kn-know that. I just wish I c-could've gotten through to him. I t-tried to take care of him, y-you know? Tried to g-get him out of there, tried to s-save him from getting hurt by m-my f-father. And because of that, my f-father turned him against me. M-made him th-think that I was the p-problem, n-not the other w-way around." Adam looks down, fighting back the tears that threaten.

Flack merely tilts his head, trying not to look sympathetic, because he knows that's not what Adam wants.

"And K-Kayla… she just sh-shut down," Adam continues. "I'm afraid of what my father was doing to her. And I hope like hell she's survived, but… I-I honestly don't know. I h-haven't talked to m-my mother in a while… she just… stopped calling. But I've never heard about funerals o-or anything… and I ch-check. But… I g-guess it's p-possible that they j-just haven't b-been found yet or s-something…"

Flack closes his eyes, thinking about how much it would suck to not even know how his own family is doing.

"A-and… I don't know. I c-care about Kayla and Chris… I-I feel like I failed them."

"Adam, listen to me," Flack says softly, his voice reminiscent of two weeks ago. "You didn't fail anyone, buddy. You did what you had to do to survive. You helped them survive as long as you could. You did the best you could, kid. Better than most others in your situation."

Adam sniffles. "Tell that to Chris, who's trying to kill me," he replies bitterly.

Flack thinks about telling Adam that his brother is a scumbag, but says instead, "Maybe if he'd taken the time to listen to you, he'd have turned out better. Instead, he was swayed by your father. There's nothing more you could've done. Because if you stayed there, there's a fair chance you'd have ended up dead."

Adam flinches, but nods all the same. "I know. It just doesn't make me feel any better about it, you know?"

"I know."

"I guess i-it sometimes helps t-to hear it from someone else."

Flack smiles slightly. "Yeah, I get that."

"Thanks," Adam says softly, scrubbing his eyes free of any tears that might have existed.

"No problem," Flack replies. "Remember, it's a two-way street."

Adam nods. "So, does that mean we can talk about you and Mrs. Sampson? Because I'm pretty sure she's got her heart set on your 'beautiful blue eyes' for husband number four…"

Flack chuckles. "Nah, not for me. She sleeps with a Winchester."

Adam laughs.

The End


End file.
